Corsair 460X Build for BoMenzzz: Part One

The new part of this build is the liquid cooling. A nice little AIO cooler would have done the job perfectly fine, but if you are wanting better performance and lower temperatures it is worth looking into something bigger and better. There are some main components that you will need. The following gives you an idea.


The reservoir is basically just a tank that holds the water before it gets to your pump. As a rule, the reservoir should be before your pump and it must be at a higher point than the pump whilst you fill the loop. The fluid relies on gravity to fill the pump. We have chosen this reservoir as space is tight. We did actually want to go for something huge, but it just wouldn't fit. Although we want a simple build, we want a centrepiece that is pink! When this is full, it will add a lot of colour.


Pumping the fluid around the system we have the Alphacool Eispumpe VPP755, which is very similar to the D5 but has a few minor changes. The one that is very interesting is that the PWM version also has a dial on it, meaning that you can change the speed of the pump up to the limit you set with the dial. An example of this would be setting the pump to ‘4’ (around 3,900rpm). Usually, this would stay at 3,900rpm and would be quite noisy. If you use the PWM function though, you could set it so that it will only reach 3,900rpm if the system needs it. This is the first time I have used the Alphacool Eispumpe VPP755 so it will be interesting to play with.


Fittings connect all of your parts together and the new Alphacool ones look great! I know Alphacool won't mind when I say some of its older fittings looked, well, old. Now the range has been updated and are very nice indeed. I usually only use the compression and 90-degree fittings, but there are a few rare occasions that I will need a 45-degree fitting. For that, I generally just bend the tube a little. You can never have enough 90-degree fittings if you are doing a fair few builds, as they can often get you out of trouble when you need to make tight corners.


The CPU block is where the magic really happens. This block works in a similar way to an air cooler, because it takes the heat from the CPU and then disperses it. The only difference is that this has fluid running through it and that carries the heat away from the CPU block to the radiator. We have chosen the new Alphacool Eisblock XPX CPU block which promises to be a great performer. Again, I have not used this one yet, but I have heard good things. Unfortunately, this wasn't available in white, so we will need to change that in the next update.


A good contact with the CPU is very important, as is the thermal paste that is used, so always make sure you check the bottom of the CPU block to ensure there are no dents, nicks or anything else untoward. Also, make sure it is clean - you should be able to see your face in it - or a fitting in this case.


Radiators are another very important part of the loop. As is becoming common, I haven't tried the new Alphacool Eisbrecher Pro XT45 Full-Copper 240mm, but decided to go for one after hearing good news from others. This is a beast of a radiator. It is very heavy and is great for modders, because these can be painted very easily and the inner core can be removed. You may have noticed some sponge-like material inside the radiator that is used to force the air through dead spots and supposedly improve cooling. It would be nice to check a range of radiators and see if it does as it says - maybe one day I will get the chance.



Finally, the tubing. This time I decided to use the Alphacool 13/10 satin, which has a frosted-glass effect and looks great. This is another first for me, but should be the same as any other acrylic hard-line tubing in terms of melting point and ease of bending. I personally prefer acrylic over PETG, but I will not go into too much detail here; both have their pros and cons but acrylic just works better for me.

So, that is basically it for the first instalment. We just wanted to show you what we had here and give you some clues as to what is coming up - a lot of painting and cable-sleeving.

Check out part 2 Here